


All the King's Men

by RadikoolSun



Category: Dare Me (TV 2019), Dare Me - Megan Abbott
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Army, Cheerleaders, College, F/F, F/M, Power Dynamics, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:42:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23201128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RadikoolSun/pseuds/RadikoolSun
Summary: Four years into the future, Addy is approaching her final year of college, as planned, with out any major disruptions. Until a certain lieutenant and her brigade take over the campus.
Relationships: Beth Cassidy/Addy Hanlon
Comments: 3
Kudos: 72





	1. Born Tired (Addy)

**Author's Note:**

> You do not need to have read the book to follow events in this story. In fact, I would strongly encourage against it for this fic, as the TV show is more insightful for context. However, there are a few major incidents referenced that may be spoiler-y for those who have not read the book.
> 
> Also, I listen to music a lot when I work. 
> 
> For this, it was Jhene Aiko's 'Chilombo'.

  
She lands with a light thud, knees bent softly, and arms outstretched. One more time, she thinks, her hips swaying slightly left as she wills her body to a stop. It had been at least an hour since Hailey, along with the rest of the team, had left her to the comfort of the spring floors and wide space.

“We need groceries,” Hailey had reminded her. “It’s your turn.”

She isn’t sure when Hailey last graced the store with her presence, but Addy is determined to be a good roommate. She’ll go. After she sticks this landing.

“It’s perfect, you’re perfect. Go home,” a familiar voice projects from the far end of the gym.

“I’m only as perfect as my last landing, Vi, you know that.”

Addy straightens but keeps her eyes trained on the spot on the wall ahead of her. A cool breeze makes its way from the open door to tickle her lower back as Vi stands in the doorway.

“Well, could you settle for being a little less perfect today? I gotta get this place cleaned up before the Second Coming.” She pushes her cleaning cart farther into the room, scrutinizing the areas around her that need immediate attention.

No, Addy thinks, but sighs in defeat, “Okay. Just for you. Thank you for waiting.”

She finally turns toward the familiar voice to catch the tail end of a lazy shrug.

“No problem. Our star quarterback is having the season of his life thanks to you. At this rate, we’ll have the championship in the bag.”

Addy shifts uncomfortably, but smiles and hopes Vi chalks it up to body fatigue.

“Sure. I’ll head out. Bye.”

Safely behind the wheel of her car, she lets her smile falter, then sink into a frown.

______

“Oh thank god! I’m starving! Did you get th-”, Hailey exclaims as Addy shuffles into the apartment.

“-Double chocolate chip complete with a diabetic coma, check.”

“Gimme!”

Arms outstretched on the sofa, Hailey makes a gallant effort forward, only succumb to the warmth of her blanket.

“Get off your ass! I’m tired of that checker chick giving me evil looks every time I scan this bucket through,” Addy grumbles, though she drops the ice cream lightly into Hailey’s lap.

“Well, if you grab a spoon, we can turn that perfect body into something a little less evil,” Hailey winks.

“Whatever, I’m taking a shower,” she sighs, her face growing warm.

Addy enters the bathroom, her body moving sluggishly, as though there is a three-second delay between her tired brain and her exhausted body. She had stayed a little longer than usual despite her aching joints. _It‘s worth it_. That's what she tells herself every time. Thankfully the air is near suffocating when she steps into the shower, the steam enveloping her like a warm hug. It keeps her mind blank to focus on the searing heat against her skin.

Four years. Four years and she still fights hard to keep her mind in check, to maintain the mundane motions of student life. Only to be betrayed, every so often, by the scent of spiced vanilla or, a subtle glance or, a patronizing smirk on a passerby and the panic that follows. After her third anxiety attack, she had learned to suppress the fear that threatened to swallow her whole whenever she caught sight of what she believed to be her reckoning. She hasn’t had a good night’s rest in four years. For particularly difficult nights, she keeps running shorts and a loose tee at the foot of her bed. She hopes tonight isn’t one of them.

______

Addy wakes with a start. She had been falling, plummeting deep and fast with no end in sight. It’s still dark outside, save for the soft glow of the streetlamp across the street that filters through her window. She reaches for her phone and suffers the mercilessly bright glare to read - "4:12”. Underneath, there is a banner with a clipped message from Tyler. She groans and slumps down to the mattress, scowling at the ceiling. Addy can fool her body into slumber but never uninterrupted sleep. Her muscles still ache and she knows if she pushes too hard she could risk an injury. Fuck it, she thinks and reaches for her running shorts.

The early spring air is just cool enough to inspire goosebumps on her shoulders as she jogs comfortably. With Campus twenty-five minutes away, at a decent pace, she can run there and back with enough time to make breakfast for her and Hailey. If Hailey had noticed Addy's irregular sleeping pattern she kept it to herself. So long as Addy drove the team to dominate in the State Championship year after year, Addy's insomniac ways are none of her business. In a year, Addy will graduate with a next-to-useless journalism degree, and then, her life can truly begin. As she turns the corner, she slams face-first into something solid and unforgiving.


	2. Chapter 2 - Lotus (Beth)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beth's trusty truck breaks down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay, real life issues and global crisis tend to put a damper on creativity. Now I know how this story ends, I'll try to upload more frequently.
> 
> Also, I'm British-born with Canadian influences. So, there may be some spelling inconsistencies. Forgive me <3

  
They’ve been driving in careful silence for most of the journey. Besides the screeching of the truck’s engine, neither of them has broken the silence beyond the standard check-in, every thirty minutes. Just when the crying of the vehicle seems too much to bear, the truck jerks forward a final time.

“Damn it,” Beth huffs, leaning forward to rest her head on the leather steering wheel. “We should have left earlier, now we’re fuc-“

“Relax, Cassidy. Your girl got us this far, we can walk the rest.”

As if to demonstrate, her passenger lifts her chin to the ceiling and shuts her eyes. 

_Typical_. Beth releases her grip on the wheel. Her fingers flex and the blood rushes back into her fingertips. This day cannot get any worse. Dawn is beginning to break, her truck has abandoned them at the corner of a creepy suburban road and now, of course, she needs to pee. At least she had the foresight to edge closer to the sidewalk before the truck croaked. She pulls the keys from the ignition and swings the door open in one fluid motion. 

“What do we do with the crap in the back, Ren?” She asks, scowling at the possibility of having to lug gear twice her weight for a mile and a half. 

The deep blue sky now bled to an orange hue. If they run (as they are prone to do), they could probably make it to their rental, take a shower and be on campus for the first briefing. But with their luggage in tow, it may take double the time.

“It’ll be here in the morning. We’ll send the cadets out,” Ren smirks. A slow grin spreads across Beth’s face. 

“Truck too?”

“Should keep them busy for a few hours, I think,” Ren affirms with a firm nod.

 _Good_ , Beth thinks. _Those cocky S.O.B.’s are getting too complacent_. She doesn’t blame them, their usual drills assessments had grown stale months ago therefore using the art of surprise against her cadets was going to be fun. She’s know she needs to light a fire under their asses and hopefully, bag a bunch of hot recruits.

“Lieutenant.”

“Captain,” Beth retorts.

Beth rolls her eyes while rubbing her left shoulder. Ren rarely addresses her by her rank when they were in private. Had she zoned out again? It’s been happening more frequently now, ever since Ren had told her. 

Perhaps she’s finally whittled away at Ren’s relentless patience. _Good_ , she thinks, before guilt inevitably settles itself in her chest. She has done her absolute best to try Ren’s patience over the years, especially on days when her boredom inspires chaos.

“I said, do you remember the Brawl of 2021?” 

She had only been a cadet for six months and her dad, the asshole, had ‘forgotten’ to re-up her commissary allowance. Beth had to call his secretary six times before he delivered. _Through his secretary._ So the following morning she orchestrated the most brutal food brawl her division had ever seen. 

“Some of my best work. Took three weeks and two bottles of lemon juice to get the smell out.”

“Yes, that was a particularly harsh winter for us all,” Ren chuckles. 

The Captain had observed the mayhem from her breakfast table in the corner. She watched as Beth revelled in the anarchy she’d provoked on a whim. 

_“All cleaning and kitchen personnel are relieved of their duties,”_ Beth mocks in memory, her back rigid. _“Your fellow officers have graciously volunteered to prepare every meal and scrub every surface in your absence. Starting now.”_ Three agonising days later, resentment had nestled comfortably within the squad. It had taken another four days of ‘accidental’ mishaps (her mattress soaked in dishwater being her favourite) before Beth swallowed her pride and shuffled into the Captain’s office.

Ren shifts in her passenger seat to face her, amused. “You gave me no choice. My mother always said, if you will not hear, you must feel.”

“My mother always said you can’t trust anyone, not even yourself,” Beth counters. Ren glares at her. 

“In my office, afterward, do you remember what I asked you?”

“No,” she lies, the sharpness in her tone betraying her. Ren pushes on regardless.

“Then, let me remind you. I asked you why you were here and, what you wanted. I believe we have since uncovered the why. Now, the what?”

 _None of that matters_ , Beth thinks, _how could it?_ The next few months will be excruciating, for the both of them and Ren wanted to waste what little time they had on what Beth wanted?

Ren is, inexplicably staring at her, waiting. 

“It doesn’t matt-“

“Of course it it does,” Ren cuts off sternly. “I haven’t spent the last three years drowning your demons and curbing your vices to end here. Now more than ever. It matters.”

Beth shakes her head, her jaw tight witb frustration. There’s a hot prickling beneath her eyelids but she refuses to blink.

“That’s not fair. You can’t use…you know that's not fair.”

“Life isn’t fair,” Ren states gently. She lifts her palm to Beth’s cheek and wipes at the hot tears that fall free.

“You signed up for a reason. You needed to be different, to learn how to rise above. For wh-“

Thwack! The open door vibrates against the impact of an absent-minded jogger.

  
__________  
  
 **Captain Ren’s office, December 2021**  
  
  
 _“Why are you here?”_

“To get the reek of dishwater out of my hair. All the shampoo in the world won’t help if I’m drenched every night.”

“No. Why are you here? Why did you enlist, cadet?” Captain Ren taps her finger on the sturdy desk.

“I just like over-salted eggs and cameo-gear. Kind of a fetish,” Beth winks.

“Do you want to know what I think?”

“Not really, but I’m sure you’ll enlighte-”

“You have no one. Not a single soul who truly cares for you. Under all the bravado and malice, you’re terrified of being alone. Of being forgotten. So you’re here, swallowing salty eggs and pissing off every authority figure you come across.”

“Daddy issues? That’s the best you can do?”

“No. It’s the best you can do. We’ll soon change that.”


	3. Chapter 3 -  Triggered (Beth and Addy)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beth and Addy spend time in a medical centre.

If someone were to ask her, where the very last place she would like to be, it would be here, in this medical centre, surrounded by people. People who supposedly need medical attention.

“Why are the lights in these hellholes always so damn bright?” Beth squints as she walks alongside her unreasonably tall Captain. A scruffy-looking student scrambles past them, just about making it to the trash can.

“Hard to save lives in the dark,” Ren returns, glancing down at her watch. Another student (also intoxicated) drifts into their orbit until Beth shoots him a reproachful glare and he shrinks away. 

“We do,” Beth scoffs. The pair slow as they approach a light grey curtain.

“I said hard, not impossible.” Ren reiterates, smirking slightly. She pulls back the curtain.

If someone were to ask Beth who the very last person she would like to see, it would be the patient lying sound asleep on the bed in front of her. _Not dead then,_ Beth thinks.

“She’ll have a splitting headache, but her vitals are good. She’ll be fine,” a deep voice declares behind them. The doctor shuffles between them to place his clipboard at the foot of the bed.

“Great! Let’s go.”

Beth’s already turning towards the exit when her superior grips her elbow softly.

“May I remind you that she is a civilian. A civilian who was injured by your negligence?”

“Negl-what? She ran into the door…of a _parked_ car,” Beth looks down at Addy’s peaceful expression. Her chest tightens. “Idiot.”

“Nevertheless, it was a door that you left open. Your lack of awareness resulted in the in—“

“Addy’s fi-“

“-jury of this young woman.” 

“-ne. Isn’t she doc?” Beth ignores Ren’s arched eyebrow by staring determinedly at the doctor.

“She is. At least she will be,” the doctor agrees, pushing his glasses further up his nose in a nervous gesture. 

“See?”

“But-“

“No, no, no. No buts doc,” Beth pleads.

“-she may have a mild concussion. Someone should be here to escort her home when she wakes,” he informs them hurriedly. He’s scurrying towards the door before Beth can protest. _Coward_. She’s about to fire off reasons why she shouldn’t be made to babysit when Ren pulls something out of her pocket and hands it to her.

“Make sure _Addy_ , doesn’t go home alone.”

Ren’s tone invites no argument, but Beth can see a knowing smirk pull at the corner of her mouth. She nods reluctantly and watches her follow Dr. Spineless out of the room. 

When she is alone, Beth looks from Addy to the phone Ren placed in her palm. She hasn’t seen her in four years, and even then, they had been torn apart by the investigation. Rifling through the device to hunt for clues could give her an inkling as to what Addy’s life is like now. When she taps the home button, the screen lights up to reveal two notifications; a reminder to **buy mom a birthday gift** and eight unread messages from somebody named Tyler. What kind of a name is Tyler? Addy's leg twitches in her sleep and Beth quickly stifles the urge to snoop. She swipes up and taps the Emergency contact option on the screen a little too hard.

* * *

She stirs, her eyes opening to a blinding light that causes her to slam her eyes shut instinctively. Addy tries again, this time raising an arm over her face as a buffer. Her vision is spotty and her eyelids are heavier than they have been in a while. She thinks she can see someone standing at the foot of her bed but she can’t quite make out the face. 

“Beth?” Addy croaks out.

Her head feels like it’s been split in two and she has to blink several times before the form is clear. Her stomach drops. The figure wears an olive military jacket, similar to that worn by Sarge Will, with matching pants that sit low at the waist.

“Excuse me? Did something happen?”

Addy’s been through this enough times to know that government officials do not stick around unless something dire has happened. Confusion clouds her face as she probes her mind for possible incidents. She’s worked hard to stay out of trouble the last few years, even submitting weekly interrogation that always seems to end the same way. _I’m fine, Mom. I’m better_. Addy sits up slowly, clearing her throat to ask again. The individual reacts to this by turning slowly to face her.

“You need to watch where you’re going, Hanlon.” 

Addy’s vision fades to black.

* * *

  
  


She’s ready to kill. Beth is standing in the hallway of the medical centre, planning her next mode of attack. She could go in from the right, a swift jab could give her what she needs. On the other hand, a solid forward kick has proven effective in the past. With one last look down the empty corridor, Beth aims a blow at her target. Nothing.

Gripping either side of the vending machine, she shakes it vigorously growling, “Give me something, asshole.” Her stomach grumbles loudly in support.

“Feed it cash, then it’ll feed you food,” a cheerful voice offers above her. Beth stands upright like she’s been shocked into position.

“This piece of shit doesn’t take twenties,” Beth growls, relaxing when she realised the girl is alone. Her eyes stay on a particular nut bar.

“Here,” the perky voice persists. A crumpled dollar is thrust in her line of vision. Beth turns, broadening her shoulders a little. She takes in her benevolent benefactor. The girl is about her height, despite her ridiculous platform shoes, probably worn to give a small advantage. Her red hair falls in waves past her slender shoulders, drawing attention to a proud jawline.

“Do you need something? Or do you just creep hallways, making it rain on the needy?” Beth snipes, suddenly warm and impatient.

“Depends, are you Lieutenant Cassidy? Or are you _needy_?” The suggestive inflection makes Beth roll her eyes. She snatches the crumpled dollar and jams it into the slot on the machine.

“Lieutenant Cassidy. Your girl ran into my truck, had to carry her dumbass twenty blocks to get her here.” Mentioning the ordeal causes the pain in her shoulder to immediately make itself known. Her hand flies to her shoulder.

“Okay. Firstly, she’s not my girl, she’s my roommate and Captain. Secondly, hot. I’m Hailey.” Hailey is glowing in a way Beth didn't expect, considering it’s seven in the morning and, she has just pulled her out of bed.

“Whatever.” Beth ignores the outstretched hand in favour of kneading the muscle at her shoulder. Hailey’s grin only widens as she retrieves the chocolate bar through the vending flap and hands it to Beth. 

She has trouble suppressing the moan that leaves her mouth when she takes her first bite. When she opens her eyes, the redhead seems to be a lot closer to her than she had been before.

“I don’t have time for this,” she breathes, stepping back. “When her majesty returns to the land of the living, take her home and put her ass right back to bed.” She pulls out Addy’s phone from her pocket and thrusts it at Hailey, who continues to openly stare at her, still standing a little too close for Beth’s liking. “She may have a concussion so no caffeine, alcohol, or cheer for the next week. No matter what she says.”

“You’re welcome.”

“What?”

“For the dollar. Can I have a bite?”

_Seriously, who is this chick?_

“Okay, you see this?” Beth stows the snicker bar away safely then plucks at the army patch on the jacket. “This says I can pretty much borrow whatever the hell I want if it means keeping me alive.” She can sense another flirtatious retort coming so she unsheathes her taser. “And this says I really don’t have time for whatever this is. So put your lady boner away before it gets hurt.”

Hailey erupts into laughter, stepping back finally and holding up her hands defensively. “Okay, okay. I may have come on a little strong. Not every day we get the country’s finest strolling through. You gonna be on Campus?”

“Why?”

“Well, I’m gonna need that dollar at some point.” 

Against her better judgement, Beth smiles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave a comment :)


End file.
